Brain(15)

I took a breath, filled my sinuses with her scent, and didn’t smell anything to tell me one way or another. She was still in distress from the cage, still hurting, and the nuances of whether she was testing me to see if I was really a werewolf weren’t going to show up amongst all of the pain and stress.

I reminded myself it wouldn’t do for me to broadcast how much it bothered me to be called an animal, so I nodded and said, “In your eyes, I suppose I am. The offer still stands to help you get the kinks worked out of your arms and shoulders, but I’ll keep my distance if you don’t want me near you.”

Her glare was answer enough, and I told her, “I’ll see what I can come up with so you can shower before bed tonight. It smells like the steaks are about ready, and I have potatoes in the oven, though they’ll probably need a trip to the microwave to finish. I’m not big on salads, but you seem to buy a lot of lettuce, so I got some for you.” I stood and motioned towards the door. “C’mon, let’s try to eat dinner without sniping at each other too much. I promise not to leave you alone with Bash again. All I can do is apologize. I’m sorry for the way he treated you.”

“You want me to sit down and eat a meal with the man who…” She sat on the bed, pulled her feet to her chest, and suddenly looked so damned small.

I wanted to go to her, but knew it was likely she was scared of me, too. I stood in place, my arms at my side, and tried not to look threatening. “I can’t leave you in here alone, and we need to eat. I’m game for getting our food and bringing it in here, but you’ll have to come to the kitchen with me to get the food.” I shook my head. “I’m not of a mind to tie you up right now. Please work with me, so I don’t have to?”

“If this is some sick version of good cop/bad cop, I will find a way to retaliate.”

Something in my gut loosened. Bash hadn’t completely broken her. Her spunk was still in there, it would come back.

I had to know if he’d done anything besides what I’d seen, so I asked, “Did he… did he do anything besides put you in the cage and tie you up?”

She looked at me a few seconds, debating how to answer, and finally looked away. “No. What he did was bad enough, though.”

Her smell told me she’d considered lying, but chose not to accuse him of something he hadn’t done. I’d think on that more later, for now, I said, “Agreed. I just needed to be sure he didn’t touch you, more than necessary to restrain you.”

“It isn’t like you’d do anything if he had.” She stood and walked past me, towards the door. “You’re right, I’m hungry. And if you have some kind of pain killer or NSAID, I’d appreciate an appropriate dose.”

It cost her something to admit she needed something for pain, and I followed her without comment. We didn’t have anything, but I’d send Bash for it, later.

Bash was coming in the back door with the steaks as we entered the kitchen, and his expression was full of disbelief when I told Ice to put the salads together.

“I’ll cut the tomatoes,” said Bash. “She can’t have a knife.”

“Yeah, she can. Did you call Duke?”

“He’s driving up in the morning, says I’m to stay here, make sure you don’t do anything boneheaded like let her use a knife.”

“I’m watching her. I can’t stay at this level of alert forever, and she’ll have to be bound later, but she’s fine right now.”

“You thinking with your dick is gonna get that knife stuck in your back, and I’m not gonna let the cunt hurt another of my brothers. I’ll cut the tomatoes.”

Ice slapped the knife on the counter and turned with her hands out, to show them empty. I understood why when she told Bash, “I’d put it in your eye before I put it in his back. I’m going to wash the lettuce. Cut the damned tomatoes. I want them diced, not in slices, and don’t fucking mangle them.”

She turned her back on him, walked the lettuce to the sink, and started washing it. Bash’s expression was priceless, and I reminded him, “You wanted to cut them. Have at it.”

Now that she’d ordered him to, he no longer wanted to, and I turned my back on him to remove the aluminum foil from the hot potatoes. A quick cut through one confirmed they weren’t ready, and I put them in the microwave to finish.





Chapter Seven




Ice



Brain had told me we could take our food to the bedroom, but I walked my dish to the kitchen table and sat.

I refused to let the bastards break me.

Brain showed me the zip-tie as he neared me, and I forced myself to stay seated.